Rise to the occasion

This year CNY, I actually didn't really buy a lot of stuff, because I'm busy anyway. Let me show you my house and some highlights of stuff. CNY-ish enough?

 

It's a-must to have mandarin oranges, as they signify "kum" which means gold in Cantonese. This is my wealth plant which has been with me for a few years and it is still growing strongly, tied the leaves with red ribbon and it becomes a CNY wealth plant!  A little corner of my living room with one of the Buddha plaque which I lugged back from Dubai, red table cloth spruced up the coffee table. One important thing, we must ensure our rice urn is filled to the brim every CNY, so that it will ensure we will always have enough to eat the whole year long. Stick the rice urn with the word "mun", which means "always full".

  

The couplet of the God of Wealth is a must too. I put it up at my wealth area in the house next to my water feature. Gifts are filling up our house fast, and this here is abalone. This is a bamboo plant is one of the popular plants people buy during CNY. I planted these on soil instead of water. Another Buddha plaque in my living room which I decorated red pebbles around it for a nice CNY touch.

  

This is the Laughing Buddha which we have for many years, looking happy, overseeing everyone who is watching the TV. Haha! This brass plaque is a new one which has the Kalachakra mantra, Chenrezig mantra and Shakyamuni mantra which is to be hanged outside my house above the main door. In this way whoever passes through the door will have their negative karma accumulated since eons ago, purified. This will be personally blessed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. On my dining table, a tray of artificial fruits plus a real pineapple. Again pineapple is something auspicious during CNY. And flowers for offering on the actual day. 

  

My desk has a small golden bowl filled with ingots, coins and abacus, this symbolises there will always be an inflow of money. Niece made these fishes from red packets. I'm too lazy to make anything since all decorations are easily available and cheap. Bought these special Tiger coins packages for niece and nephew as angpow, since niece is a Tiger-born.  We are not short of CNY goodies and snacks. I really tried to cut down the amount of food this year because we always could not finish all the food stuff.  

 

This is my living room. I had to show this because it took me a long time to put up the  stupid sofa covers. Well, my original leather has some holes now, thanks to the old folks' ingenious way of using "anti-leather" spray on them! I had to hide the leather sofa with a DIY cloth cover which has so many folds!! This year I tone down any red in this Southeast part of the house. So it is just my Zen colours of dark brown and green. Oh, the maroon vase has money, ingots and gold bars inside too. How can a vase be empty, right?  :D

Just some other corners of the living room. I have plenty of plants both indoors and outdoors. I had a bright red table cloth on the side board. This is near South and almost to the center of the house. The character "chun" which means Spring is on the inside of my main door. 

These look so auspicious, eh? The organic apples with the word "Gong Xi Fa Cai" printed on them, a pumpkin and the edible ingot which is basically a chewy cake (nian gao). All these are on the altar as offerings. And lastly my main door outside. Red banner and couplets to ensure a smooth year ahead! Notice I did not decorate any Tiger couplets or pictures in the house? Tiger is a ferocious animal, hence it's better to leave him outside, even though this is the tiger year. If you invite him in, you may get bitten! Hehehe! (*joking*)

Ok, have a nice reunion dinner, everyone!